UNKNWON

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 22, 16 March 1889, Page 3

UNKNWON

. THE FEDERAL COUNCIL. Hoaaar, Feb. 1. Mr. Seakin moved the adoption of the following address to the, Queen with regard to affairs in the Pacific: —" To Yonr Moot Gracious Majesty, —We, your Majesty'a sulijacta and members of the Federal Council of Australia now assembled at Hobart. beg to assure you of our continued loyalty to your throne and person. Aa thia Council hat had- conferred upon it the. jpower of legislation and of making reocmo&hdation* ut respect to the relation of Australasia with the islands of the Pacific, we desire to reepeetfplly ask thatU may be furuiahied with copies of all treaties enacting tboae ialanda whioh have been or hereafter may be concluded between your. Majenty and Foreign Powers, end that it may. also be supplied with any other will enable the council to discharge iu'responsibilities in tbeae aeas. We have now great anxiety regarding the coatee of events in Samoa, and desire to hnpioea upon yonr Majesty the estram* importance te British and Australian interests of maintaining such treaties M exlM, or (X>nolnding additional treai ties'guartnteeihg the independence of , of the Samoan and Tongan Groups as recommended by the Royal 'Com- | mission which reported upon the \ Western Paeine.' (Orders in Council, 1884-6.) We desire further to res- . pectf ully. repeat and express, pur adnoricn ', to dh» Jolmwiug reeblntions > passed at thelnterooicnialXJeiretttion held jo. D|9emn«,.tM3 : ' "That the further aoquiaition of dominion in the Pacific, --ajttjib of the equator, by any fbreigfr potrar* would be highly detrinumfftl to the safety nnd well-being of British pusseaaious in Australasia, and injurious to the iuterests of the fimpira.'' He said tho address was 'IrI9KH« guarded langu.igf, ahd r ajikM:opy. what the Council, wW^'eTffl^d^^tT'The proved thli : UTgahcy of 'action ou the part of the Federal Council. Mr. Macrdssan seconded tfte"motion and said that every .member of the Counoil, representiug a vast majority of approved of the address. In the hands of a European power, Samoa would be a standing menace to peace, and commerco of the colonies. Germany's attempt to establish in, the Pacific the reign of force existing in Europe would be deprecated by every one interested in the future of Australasia and I he Putufio Islanda. He was sorry tho committee had not used much stronger language. Personally, he was willing to go to the' length of demanding that the Imperial Government should maintain the Independence of Samoa. No oountry of Europe or Australasia had the right to interfere, and he was confident that the feeling'of the people of Queensland was that it was impossilde that Australians could look with equanimity on 'the preaent state of affairs in Samoa. The motion was carried uuaniraously. Mr. Deakin then moved that the Governor of Tasmania be requested to telegraph the addreaa to the Secretary of State. He said he was astounded to bear that the gnat Empire of Germany had declared war against the Samoan chiefs, and that shipa had been searched, presumably English or American, for contraband of war., The. British Government were apparently inaotjve, and the sooner the Obuncfl'a lifajaj' was sent the better. He agreed IBS Mr. Maoroasan that mneh strong** tertni were jostifiable, bat he potetod out that the address wee pmrpoaely couched in oantiona and oeastderate language. The motion was carried unanimWrtejiort of the Standing Committeejrei adopted on the motion of

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm •aaaaxae*"gr«cr'Timaa" ' i . ills'" "u* v^taslc^^^^jd gactooary and gatnoea> to earry oat Qoverameate of the Aaajgadiaa aohv alee on quaatieaa exnawtttare, butdafeeeaa, tailwiaft;and aostal aaasnriallj federal queetioaa M *iMipg the interests of Auatralaaia- Thoega the Counoil was unable to dee! with the cable, ita dary woe to ooasider the subject. He hoped the eoloniea would join in theooatb?Birvey, which would not commit them to join in the eon* stractiott of He. The r^m^w^^ the project wo feet the intereata of South Awtnlht, whieh! the colony was guaranteed against to* through tbePamae cable, which would be unmistakably a rival route. Sir W. Griffith said that AustralU would never be saf there was a cable across the Pacifio. The ookv Australia in cooatruding ah overland line, which was not npda. any principles of philanthropy, bat' upon those of sharpeempetition. , t ThO: eabla was intended to land at the of Carpentaria, add Queensland bad construotel an overland line to meet it, but South Australia had induced tiie company tc* bad jmVK at Port Darwin. jfw : te«%*flfto«»n yeaii ti»e Qneenaland line wouhl beuMleaa, but still Queensland was propared to pay a fair share of the eoat of the survey and the construction of the Pacific cable. He entirely dissented from the view .that England should bear the Whole coat of the line. The colonies which boasted their: wealth should bear their own burdens. Haggling with the old country about contributions was unworthy of the dignity of Australasia.